A half-dozen Iola High School band students defended their band teacher, Ranie Wahlmeier, before the USD 257 Board of Education Monday night.
Wahlmeier is resigning, effective at the end of the school year.
Wahlmeier has taught band at the middle and high schools for the last two years.
Senior Jon Miller spoke on behalf of the students, telling board members he believed the opinions of students and parents had negatively influenced Wahlmeiers decision to resign.
Wahlmeier followed beloved band teacher, Matt Kleopfer, who left the district after four years. Miller said many students were openly hostile to Wahlmeier when she first arrived.
Miller acknowledged he did not know the specifics as to what led to Wahlmeiers resignation, but he believed rumors and complaints from students and parents played a role.
We had one year to work out the kinks and that was last year, Miller told the board. The fact that we had any success was not in spite of Mrs. Wahlmeier, it was because of her. This year, the toxicity of students has been reduced significantly, which was partially aided because students who disliked her did not take band.
The board did not address the students concerns. Board president Dan Willis said the board does not respond to comments made during the public forum.
Superintendent of Schools Stacey Fager said he could not comment on Wahlmeiers resignation because it was a personnel matter.
Wahlmeier told The Register late Tuesday morning that district officials in late February said she wasn’t a good fit for the district and she was given an option to resign. She said she has been reflecting on her time with the district, and believes she can use the experience to learn how to better communicate with administrators and parents.
She said some students and parents had shared complaints with her, but she believes those issues were more of a personal nature and not a reflection of work in the classroom. She said it was difficult to follow a beloved band director but overall views her time with the district in a positive light.
Wahlmeier did not attend the board meeting and said she didn’t know what the students said, but, “I appreciate their efforts to express their disappointment.”
School bond question
The board passed a resolution to make their intentions clear regarding a school bond proposal. Voters on April 2 will decide whether to fund a new elementary school, science and technology building at the high school and replace heating, ventilation and cooling systems at the middle school.
The board has said voters must approve the elementary school question before they can agree to the other two items. That means voters must pass Question 1, for the elementary school, before the board will agree to build a new science building or new HVAC.
The ballot question doesnt make that point clear. Superintendent Stacey Fager said thats because each of the three bond questions must stand alone for legal reasons.
The board said theyve chosen to make the elementary school a priority for a couple of reasons. First, its been identified as the districts greatest need. But also, and perhaps more importantly, school districts in Kansas are limited to the amount of bonded debt they can use for facilities projects. If a district hasnt passed a bond issue in 25 years, theyre exempt from those restrictions. If the district passes a smaller bond issue, like the HVAC system, it could face financial limitations on future projects.
